DBA
by This Account Is Totally Dead
Summary: Dragonball GT is over, Goku is dead, and it seems like the adventures are just begining... Chapter Six: What happens when you combine two Sons, a new girlfriend, an old friend, rain, 17's return, and angry families? Nothing good, that's certain. (GM)
1. Chapter One: Loopholes and Saiyan

**_Author's Notes: _**_This is version two of DBA -- I have spent the last week or so fixing chapters one - five, and this is the end result. There are many stylistic changes between the two, and a couple plot-hole filings, but no major changes (so don't feel like you have to re-read the entire story).  
  
This is a slightly AU DBGT continuation story for two reasons: I am disregarding DBGT's crap "epilogue," where the families lost contact, and I am pretending that the series took place ten years after DBZ ended, as opposed to the official 5/7. Other then that, everything in the story is completely canon.  
  
For the most part, I am using dub spellings of names ("Krillen" versus "Kuririn," for example), with four key exceptions: Bulla, Valese Hercule, and Majuub will be referred to by their original names -- Bra, Paris, Mr. Satan, and Uub. Other then that, the only Japanese used in-story will be the honorific "-chan" and the names "Tenkaichi Bodoukai" (for "World Martial Arts Tournament") and "Room of Spirit and Time" (for the "Hyperbolic Time Chamber").  
  
The main characters of this story are Trunks, Goten, Marron, Pan, Bra and #17, although everyone has a part to play of some sort. The couples are pretty evident; and aren't past "sub-plot" status, but in case you're really curious they are: Canon couples plus Goten / Marron, with possible Trunks / Pan (much) later.  
  
Ages are pretty much told throughout the story, in context, but just in case you really cared: Pan is sixteen, and you can do the rest yourself. :P Just bear in mind that Bra's a year younger then Pan, as some people have that confused for some reason, and you're set!  
  
Also, I don't own any of the Dragonball series' / manga. So no suing._  
  
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_Chapter One -- Loopholes and Saiyan  
  
(March 6th, 796 A.D -- March 7th, 796 A.D)_  
  
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**After several** million years, it wasn't surprising that most loopholes in the judging system had been discovered and rewritten. It also wasn't surprising that the discovery of new loopholes was enough to make Lord Emna want to tear his horns out in frustration. But lo and behold, here they were with a new comer to the judgment desk, and instead of getting to send the bastard to Hell like he deserved, the damned loophole was giving him a first-class ticket out of Otherworld entirely.  
  
Emna glanced at the young man standing impatiently in front of his desk, where he had been for the past two days, and then back at the large rule-book he had dug out of his desk after the loophole had been realized. When he had checked the box next to the boy's name to send him to Hell, the ink had vanished and that had been the clue. The rule-book was written in tiny print, but Emna could see the two rules that, together, would send the young human in front of him back to Earth.  
  
Rule 745a: If the judged is not entirely responsible for his actions, he is to be given a reduced sentence; if the judged was possessed or under the direct control of another person at the time of his crime(s), he is to be kept out of Hell.  
  
Rule 852d: If the judged is still alive when brought into Otherworld, he is to be realized to the planet of his birth in the state that he was in when last here.  
  
No matter what way Emna looked at it, the rules spelled out one thing: If you were a human based android, you counted as an artificial being. However, you could also be counted as human if your artificial parts were separated from you -- and, assuming that you were not killed in the process of being a cyborg, your human self would still count as 'alive.' To worsen the matter, if your artificial parts were being remotely controlled at the time of your death, then only your artificial parts were to be sentenced to Hell, leaving your human parts alive and guilt-free. To add the icing to the cake, the person in question had cleared himself of his sins years ago, so they had no reason to put him in Hell for his own, chosen, actions. It was a complicated bit of legal jargon, but it meant one thing:  
  
Artificial Human No. 17 was completely free of guilt for the killing of all those on Earth a few months ago according to the highest laws of the universe. He would have to be stripped of his artificial parts -- which would go to Hell as a pile of metal and computer chips -- and sent back to Earth as a human teenager of the age and appearance that he had been before becoming a cyborg.  
  
"Hurry up, old man!" #17 yelled up at the giant red demon from where he had been standing for the past forty-eight hours. Lord Emna ignored the tiny cyborg (soon to be human) and put a hand to his temples. Somedays, everything went wrong...  
  
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**The spaceport** was easily the largest in the area, meaning that it was the only place for millions of miles where one could buy even the most basic of supplies, unless you fancied landing on one of the semi-inhabitable planets in the region and foraging for edibles. Not many travelers did, and so the merchants living on NPLNT025 were rich and prosperous.  
  
There had been a planet where the station was, once. It had been destroyed over half a century ago by Lord Freeza (although the merchant was dead, force of habit and lingering fear still caused him to be addressed as such), and almost immediately afterwards the station had begun construction to house those inhabitants that had been off planet at the time. Eventually, the station had grown into a trading hub, and now the survivors of the planet were all dead of old age, leaving only a few mixed-blood children.  
  
Until that day, that is.  
  
"Never did I think I'd see with my own eyes another Saiyan..." An elderly Adbren woman said lowly, her brow wrinkled and four eyes squinted as she looked up at the landing spaceship. She was by no means the only one; there was quite a crowd of people - humanoid and non - around the landing bays, for word spread quickly on space-stations, especially word about those aliens that had once inhabited the planet.  
  
It was not the traditional Saiyan space pod that was landing, slowly, on the station -- this spaceship was much larger, although still round and obviously Saiyan in make. Someone pushed their way through the crowd - a young, arrogant sounding woman.  
  
Ononi, the most Saiyan person on the spaceport (she was about 1/4th Saiyan and the rest Adbren), was shoving her way through the crowd. Ononi considered herself superior to everyone else on the station because of her Saiyan blood, and she had probably delegated herself the spokesperson of these aliens with a Saiyan ship.  
  
"As the last Saiyan in existence, I demand that you let me through!" She said, shoving several aliens aside. "Oh, hello grandmother." Ononi said, slightly more pleasantly, to the old Adbren woman.  
  
"You're so hasty." The woman scolded. "Hasty and rude."  
  
Ononi ignored her, and stood impatiently in front of everyone else, waiting for the passengers of the Saiyan ship to land. When it did - finally - land, and the hatch opened to let the travelers out, Ononi ran forward.  
  
"I welcome you to our space-station," She said proudly, "And hope that you realize you are speaking to the person -- the woman -- with the most remaining Saiyan blood in the known galaxy."  
  
She was ignored by the two people that stepped off of the ship, a short woman with spiky black hair and brown eyes, and a tall man very short spiky hair and grey eyes. Both wore dark red capes and elaborately decorated Saiyan armor, and both had tails.  
  
The woman turned back to the ship and said something in the Saiyan tongue, while the man strode forward. "Who is in charge?" He said in Standard North Dialect in a thickly accented voice.  
  
"I am." Ononi said, as expected. She seemed very hard to be trying to impress the newcomers, especially now that everyone could see that they were, in fact, real Saiyan.  
  
"You are in charge?" The man asked her, looking doubtful. "Where is the Planet Plant?"  
  
"The what?" Ononi said. "There are no planets around here!"  
  
The old Adbren woman's face lit up, and she walked feebly forward. "Planet Plant was renamed years ago. It's been destroyed since."  
  
"He doesn't care about that, Grandmother." Ononi snapped.  
  
"It was here, before?" The Saiyan asked.  
  
"Many years ago. My husband was born there, and we met just after the planet's destruction." The Adbren smiled faintly, thinking back to the good old days. "Those Saiyans, it seems they could have children with any sort of species."  
  
The woman Saiyan emerged again from the ship, accompanied by two more men. The first of them was tall and more arrogant looking then even Ononi. His armor was noticeably more elaborate and ornate then the others. He strode out of the ship and grimaced at the aliens assembled, before saying something to his companions in the Saiyan language.  
  
The other Saiyan was younger, his hair jutting up above his head. He had a rather high forehead, and wore armor that was far plainer then the other three's. He wore no cape, but it was he who approached the Adbren woman to speak.  
  
"You are then someone who knows of the Saiyan race?" He asked; his accent perfect but speech uneededly formal.  
  
"Why, yes." The woman said. "You look awfully familiar, you know."  
  
"Grandmother, stop bothering them!" Ononi hissed, upset that the attention was being taken away from her.  
  
"Are those words that you say; where you speak of the planet having since been destroyed, true? For our party is searching for the Saiyan who may have lived on said planet decades ago, and if the destruction of the Planet Plant is actual I few we have wasted a journey." The young Saiyan explained.  
  
"My, how polite you are." The Adbren said. "Well, I know of the planet -- and so does everyone else around here -- as Planet Vegeta, but the idea is the same, isn't it? Lord Freeza had it destroyed many years ago, and the few survivors have died off."  
  
"Ah - a pity!" He replied. "For those Saiyans in question originate from our planet, and we had hoped to find what had become of them. You see, a time ago my computers had register a power that we at that time had believed could belong to nothing but a Saiyan warrior. At once we set out to find the source, only to find this!"  
  
The old woman smiled sympathetically. "I'm very sorry to hear that, but you won't find any Saiyan here."  
  
"I'm Saiyan!" Ononi yelled, pushing her way between her grandmother and the young man. "Me!"  
  
The other three Saiyans, who obviously did not speak much of the Northern Galaxy General dialect, seemed to understand Ononi's words. The woman took a device out of a bag around her waist, and pointed it at the girl.  
  
"Too weak for being Saiyan." She announced.  
  
"I'm plenty strong! My Saiyan blood ensures it!"  
  
"Who are your friends?" The old woman asked, ignoring Ononi.  
  
"Oh, please forgive me for failing to extend the proper courtesies. The two guards," the man said, indicating the woman and the man in less elaborate armor, "Are Lord Baiseru and Lady Anbe. The other man is the high crown prince of our planet, Prince Yasai. I myself am none but a scientist by the name of Bejita."  
  
"Why, that was the name of the old ruler of Planet Vegeta. Are you related?"  
  
"I believe my father's father was the General's brother, yes." Bejita replied. "However, thus is not the point of my questioning. You claim that the Planet Plant has long since been destroyed by a creature named Freeza... where can we find this being, for we are searching for Saiyans who survived the planet's destruction."  
  
"Ah, well, Lord Freeza is dead as well. He was killed on a planet... oh, what was it..."  
  
The crowd of aliens, who had silently been watching and listening to this exchange, parted to let a green alien with antenna through. He wore a simple robe, and bowed to the old woman and Bejita as he approached.  
  
"That would be my homeworld, the Planet Nameck. I wasn't born at the time, but I have heard the tales." The young Nameckian said politely. "Freeza killed when trying to steal... something... from us, by a Human by the name of Son Goku."  
  
He didn't mention the dragonballs, but Bejita didn't ask. "Are these humans a fighting race?"  
  
The young Nameckian, only having heard tales of three Earthlings, nodded. "The males of the race are all powerful fighters, andthe females are all very clever scientists. That's what I've heard, anyway."  
  
"Do you know of any Saiyan that were with the humans or Freeza?"  
  
"One. He was an evil man, but we Namecks don't know his name. He sided with Son Goku and the other humans."  
  
Bejita nodded, and turned to relay the information to his superiors in the Saiyan tongue. The four spoke together for a minute, but then Prince Yasai said something and the discussion was over. Bejita turned back to the Nameck and old Adbren. "Where is this planet Human?"  
  
"A year's travel from here." The old woman said. "I think it was slated for purging by the Saiyans at one point. Ononi, go find the old maps?"  
  
The young woman stomped off in a huff, upset at being assigned such a job and that her Saiyan blood was being ignored by the full-bloods. When she returned, the Nameck, Saiyan, and Adbren looked over the old documents, until they finally found Planet Earth (the apparent name for the Human planet).  
  
"There is yet a chance that this Son Goku lives, and can tell us about the Saiyan with Freeza. Perhaps this Saiyan is still alive, and we may ask him our questions." Bejita said, obviously pleased to have turned up a solid lead.  
  
"If I may ask, what is the purpose of this expedition?" The old woman asked.  
  
Bejita looked up at her, his face suddenly stern. "I am quite sorry, but I may not say without my Prince's permission. Suffice to say that we of Planet Yasai need discover whatever happened to the Saiyan of Planet Plant, at any cost."  
  
"If they live." Baiseru said thickly, scoffing from where he stood.  
  
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** #18 liked **to sit outside while she drank her morning coffee. It wasn't because she wanted to avoid her family and the other residents of the Kame house, but it also wasn't that she particularly loved watching the sun rise over the ocean. There was no real thought put into the choice, really, besides the fact that the brisk morning air served to wake #18 as much as the caffeine did.  
  
She was always a very early riser, and everyone else was still asleep or barely stirring. As she looked out over the water, #18 noticed a movement off shore, headed towards the island. It looked like waves, the sort made by a fast moving boat, but there was no accompanying buzz of an engine.  
  
In any case, if whatever it was really was headed towards the Kame house, #18 could bet it was for either Krillen or Master Roshi. She took one more sip of coffee, then stood to go inside to tell them of the guest.  
  
"Hold on a moment," Someone, an old woman from the sound of the voice, called. #18 turned to see that the person was much closer now, and actually recognized the visitor as Uranai Baba, sister of Roshi and fortune teller. She was sitting on her crystal ball like always, but she was also pulling along a small raft, on which sat (clung, more like) a rather frightened looking teenager.  
  
#18 waited with an arm on her waist and the other holding her mug, wondering why Baba wished to speak with her. Normally, after all, the elderly witch came only to speak with Master Roshi or to share news of a new threat or dead relative.  
  
After a few minutes, Baba arrived at the island and the raft was dragged on shore. The teen, a black haired boy around eighteen years old, quickly scrambled off it, and crossed his arms huffily when he was standing safely on the beach.  
  
"What are you doing here?" #18 asked, after a moment of silence where neither visitor spoke.  
  
Baba chuckled, and while #18 didn't pretend to be good at telling emotions, she thought the pink-haired crone might have been nervous for some reason. "Well, you see, there have been some difficulties over in Otherworld."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Well, ah," Baba said. #18 made up her mind -- she really was nervous about something. In the pause that followed, she looked back over at the teenager. For some reason, he looked vaguely familiar... what was a teenaged boy (an alive one, no less) doing hanging around Uranai Baba anyway?  
  
"You see, there's been a complication surrounding #17's death." Baba said, finally. #18 frowned at the thought of her brother -- not out of sadness for his death, but out of anger for the memories brought back by his being mentioned.  
  
"Of what sort?"  
  
"Well, to keep a complicated matter simple, due to an unfortunate loophole in the Laws of Death he wasn't dead after all." Baba glanced over her shoulder -- quite a feat when one barely has a neck -- at the teenager still standing on the beach.  
  
#18's breath stopped for a moment as she looked over at her brother. "Why is he here?" She demanded, after finding herself able to speak again.  
  
"You're his family, of course." Uranai Baba stated, as if the fact was obvious (it probably was, but #18's mind wasn't functioning properly at the moment). "In any case, I do have a few manners to discuss with you before --"  
  
Over on the beach, the human that had once been #17, scoffed. "Y'know, I can hear everything your saying. So stop talkin' like I'm not here." He spoke differently, now -- he sounded younger for sure, and his voice conveyed emotion.  
  
"Yes, well," Uranai Baba said, succeeding in regaining #18's attention, "When we began to rebuild #17's physical body, we ran into a problem. The law said that only his human self could be re-animated, but there was no way to separate human from android. That's why he looks like he does, you see."  
  
"No, I don't."  
  
"We used the last completely human form of him we could find by going through his brain. He's approximately eighteen years old, taken from what we assume to be the day before Dr. Gero began his experiments."  
  
#18 flinched slightly at the crone's words, but said nothing. She wondered if the other residents of the Kame house were awake yet, what her husband would think when he found that his murderer was alive again.  
  
"That leads me to the reason of this visit... you see, we hadn't counted on #17's new body to come with a new mind. He remembers very little of his life as a cyborg, because most of him is from, essentially, the past."  
  
"So... he has amnesia." #18 said. She was finding it easier to simply repeat Baba's words, because that took little thought and left her mind to think through other things. Like the fact that, oh, you know... #17 was alive.  
  
Baba had been speaking, and #18 focused her attention back on the woman. "-- and so, we thought it would be best that #17 stay with you, due to circumstances. Lord Emna and the rest of Otherworld all apologize for the inconvenience."  
  
#18 wanted to ask what the 'circumstances' were, but her pride wouldn't let her admit she hadn't been listening. They probably weren't important. Uranai Baba began to excuse herself, apologizing once again for having to bring #17 back to life. This time, instead of taking off across the ocean, she rose into the air and vanished with a pop.  
  
Leaving #17 and #18 alone on the beach outside the Kame House. #18 looked at her brother warily. True, his ki was at a tiny level, equal to that of a normal human's, but that didn't mean she trusted him any. #17 yawned widely, exaggeratingly.  
  
"That was dumb." He said. "Guess I'm going to be living here now, huh?"  
  
#18 closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. When she opened them again, he was still there.  
  
"Who are you, anyway?" #17 asked.  
  
She wanted to scream.  
  
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_  
  
**Name puns:**  
  
**Adbre** -- "Bread" with switched sylables.  
  
**Ononi **-- "Onion" with switched sylables.  
  
**Yasai** -- Japanese word for "Vegetable."  
  
**Anbe** -- "Bean" with switched sylables.  
  
**Baiseru** -- Bastardized Japanese spelling of "Basil."  
  
**Bejita** -- Bastardized Japanese spelling of "Vegeta."  
  
**Thanks to Brandon. B for beta-reading for me!!!**  
  
_


	2. Chapter Two: Family and Friend

_  
**Author's Notes: **This is version two of chapter two; the biggest change is the rearrangement of the scenes so that they go more in chronological order. Other then that, nothing of note to mention.Well, one little thing: I decided that, in keeping with Madrid's "I'm annoying" personality, she should have a silly nick-name for Goten... "Ten-chan," which best translates to "Tenny." **  
**_****  
  
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**_Chapter Two -- Family and friend.  
  
(March 7th, 796 A.D)_  
  
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They were **at Satan City Mall looking for a decent place to eat when Goten saw her. Under most circumstances, he would have gone right over and said hello to her, since she was an old friend, but Madrid was clinging to his arm and Goten didn't think talking to Marron would be very prudent with his possessive girlfriend around.  
  
However, Marron saw him, too, and walked right over in a confident way that Goten thought was somewhat out-of-character for the Marron he had grown up with.  
  
"Goten, hello!" Marron said, when she was closer. Madrid scowled, and fluffed her long brown hair in a show-offish way. However, she did shake the blonde's hand when it was offered.  
  
"Hey, Marron..." Goten said, stupidly. Admittedly, it _had _been four years since they last spoke, but Marron looked a lot different... her hair was shorter (but still in tiny pigtails), and her dress was cut for business and looked very professional. "This is my girlfriend, Madrid."  
  
"Is she _another_ of your ex-girlfriends, 'Ten-chan?" Madrid asked accusingly.  
  
Goten flushed bright red. "Of course not. Sheesh." For what might have been the hundredth time, he reminded himself to break up with the obnoxious model.  
  
Marron also looked embarrassed, but she tried to hide it. "Want to get lunch together and catch up?"  
  
"We're on a _date_." Madrid said rudely. She thrust the bags of stuff Goten had bought for her at her boyfriend, and walked over to stand directly in front of Marron. Marron was at least a head shorter then the woman, and looked visibly frightened. "So stay _away_ from my boyfriend, you_ hussy_."  
  
Goten rolled his eyes and looked away. Some people, passing by, had actually stopped to watch what was starting to look like a fight, so Goten looked back at the two and sighed. '_Well, I did mean to break up with her..._' He thought, before pulling Madrid away by the arm.  
  
"Goten, what are you doing?" She hissed. Marron stood where she was, looking shocked.  
  
"You're causing a scene."  
  
"Oh, I get it! It's not _her_ fault, is it! Well, then, _Go_ten, it's over!" Madrid yelled. "I'm ending this right now!" She turned and stomped off in a huff. Goten rolled his eyes, realized he was still holding Madrid's bags, and sighed again.  
  
"I'm really sorry..." Marron said timidly. Now she was acting more like the Marron Goten knew.  
  
"I was planning on ending it anyway." Goten explained, peeking into a bag of clothes. "What am I supposed to do with this junk?"  
  
"Return it?"  
  
"Nah, I'll take it back to my place. Madrid'll probably be back there wanting her stuff later, anyway."  
  
Marron looked apologetic again. "I'm_ really_ sorry about all this." She repeated.  
  
"No big deal, I was really only with her for the se..." Goten cut himself off, remembering who he was speaking with. Marron looked embarrassed (it was funny how easily read her emotions were), so she probably had guessed for herself anyway. "...Want to get lunch?"  
  
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"So, what **have you been up to lately?" Goten prompted, before taking a big sip of his soda. After some discussion, he and Marron had decided to grab a quick lunch in the food court of the mall.  
  
Marron looked thoughtful. "College, mostly."  
  
"Aren't you a little old for that?" Goten asked, realizing too late how that sounded rude. "I mean, shouldn't you have graduated a while back?" He amended, accidently making it sound worse.  
  
Marron, luckily, took it well and smiled. "I did graduate just a few months ago." She explained.  
  
Goten wanted very much to ask, but knew it'd sound stupid. Finally, he decided to ask anyway: "What did you go to college to be?"  
  
"A children's psychologist." Marron replied, giggling a little. Goten was the same as always, at least. Just as clueless as ever... when spending time around him, Marron thought he probably only listened to what interested him.  
  
"Whoa." Goten said, impressed. "You're a shrink?" It seemed sort of out of character for Marron to be something so... professional, but then again it made sense... she loved helping people, and children.  
  
"Well, I haven't really started work yet -- I do next week -- but yes, I'm a shrink." Marron laughed again, this time at Goten's surprised expression. "What about you? What have you been doing lately?"  
  
Goten didn't really know how to answer. It wasn't that he wanted to _impress_ Marron, but at least she had a career. Goten's path in life was very different: He entered the occasional martial arts tournament, won, and lived off of that money until the next tournament rolled around. And, of course, he dated. A lot.  
  
It seemed stupid in comparison.  
  
"Oh, you know... hanging around." Goten said with a grin, but he put a hand behind his head - a nervous gesture - as he said it. "Do I have to call you Dr. Marron, now?" He asked cheerfully, changing the subject.  
  
Marron blinked. "I... don't think so. Technically, I suppose."  
  
The next few minutes were quiet, as Goten ate his pile of food (but still a very small pile for a half Saiyan) and Marron picked at her fried rice. It was becoming apparent that they were running out of things to say, after the catching up business was over.  
  
"How's your family doing?" Marron asked, politely, after the food had been eaten.  
  
Goten shrugged, taking a last drink for this soda before throwing away the bottle in a trash can next to their table. "Good." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "Want to go do something else?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Marron asked, after a short, confused, pause.  
  
"I dunno." Goten stood, and stretched. "It's almost two, and the theater here has a matinee then."  
  
"Are you asking me on a date?" Marron blurted out, somewhat incredulously. She didn't date much, but that wasn't an issue. Goten was a womanizer, after all, and the casual way he was asking her out was somewhat unsettling.  
  
"Wanna?" Goten asked, and grinned.  
  
Marron bit her lip, and stood. "Fine," she said with slight reluctance, "But I'm not sleeping with you afterwards."  
  
The surprised and embarrassed look on Goten's face was a sight to see, indeed.  
  
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"What was **the date that Earth's president was sworn in?" Gohan asked, after flipping through his daughter's text-book for a difficult sounding question. Pan slumped back in her chair.  
  
"Sometime in... May?" She guessed. "Early May?"  
  
"Year?"  
  
Pan now leant forward, placing her forehead on the table. "A long time ago."  
  
Gohan pushed his glasses up his nose. "Pan-chan, if you want to get into West City High School, you're going to need to be more serious about learning."  
  
"I don't want to go to West City. Grandma wants me to." Pan pointed out. "She said, and I'm quoting, 'Pan-chan, you've missed so much school already. I let it slide with your father, but not with my grand-daughter! You need an_ education_!'" As the sixteen-year-old spoke, she raised her voice in a poor imitation of Chi-Chi's.  
  
Gohan rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly. "Your grandmother has a good point, Pan-chan. A year of school - especially your first year of high school - is a lot to miss. West Capital High is the best high school in the world, and besides, Bra will be starting there this year."  
  
Pan rolled her eyes. Her father didn't understand that she really didn't like Bra anymore, and that the feeling was mutual. Just because you were friends when you were little kids, didn't mean that you'd want to be friends when you were older. Going to the same high school as Bra would be more of a curse than a blessing.  
  
She said none of this, however, and sat back up normally. "May 7th?" Pan guessed.  
  
"Hm?" It took Gohan a moment to realize Pan was answering his earlier question. "Close, May 8th." He flipped through the text-book again. "You know, Pan, it's a very good school. That's why there are these tests to take before hand."  
  
"I know it's a good school." she replied. "It's _also_ a three hour flight away. At top speed. And, let's not forget, I'm the fastest out of everyone."  
  
It was a good point, actually. West City was literarily on the other side of the continent, if Pan was to go there she'd have to leave for school at four every morning to be able to make first bell. Gohan adjusted his glasses again, and looked up at her.  
  
"If you really don't want to go, just say so. You can go to Orange Star."  
  
Pan propped her chin in her hands. "I'll go. I just like complaining about it."  
  
He wasn't entirely sure that Pan was being truthful, but she had made her choice and if she expected him to read her mind and do what she wanted, deep down, that was too bad. Pan needed to learn to do things she didn't like to, after all.  
  
"I'm sure that Bulma will let me crash at Capsule Corp. if I ask, anyway." Pan said brightly. She enjoyed spending time there, for reasons Gohan didn't know. He didn't _think _she was that good friends with Bra...  
  
"Mrs. Bulma." He corrected. Pan never spoke to others with proper respect; she was like her grandfather in that way. "Next question... What date was Orange City renamed Satan City on?"  
  
**  
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**  
**Bejita bowed **before each of the three Saiyan before him individually, as his low ranking demanded, before beginning his report.  
  
The four Saiyans had stopped only briefly for supplies before continuing their journey, once it had been discovered that there were no Saiyans left at the old site of Planet Plant.  
  
When speaking the Saiyan tongue -- a slight variant to the East Galaxies Standard language -- Bejita didn't sound nearly as archaic in speech, although his formality carried well enough.  
  
"Although it has been only a day since we have left the space station orbiting the ruins of Planet Plant, I have managed to both set our course in the direction of Planet Earth and to find out more information about the Saiyan who had inhabited it." Bejita said, pausing briefly before continuing.  
  
"As far as the reports I can find say, Planet Plant was indeed purged by the colony, per plan. However, afterwards there was apparently a change of plans leading to Plant being re-named and called the Saiyan planet."  
  
Anbe stood, full of patriotic rage. "Those low-class scum, taking the glorious name of the Saiyan Empire and smearing it with their low power and name!" She said.  
  
Prince Yasai raised an eyebrow. "I do believe we knew of General Vegeta's treachery before this."  
  
"Officially, my lord, it had not been verified." Baiseru said diplomatically. "Lady Anbe was merely expressing her distaste for the facts now that they have confirmation."  
  
Anbe sat again, arms crossed and frowning deeply.  
  
Bejita bowed to each of the Saiyan Elite in turn, before continuing his report. While they were of the strongest Saiyan class, Bejita was merely a second-class Scientist. He couldn't even achieve the Blood-Oozaru stage, so his inclusion on this trip had been a great honor.  
  
"Those upon the station we visited a day ago were truthful in speaking of Planet Plant's destruction. A merchant named Freeza killed all on the planet but a few, whom over the years died out to three. Two of these Saiyans died mysteriously on Planet Earth, but the third -- the son of the self-appointed "King" of Planet Plant -- was known to be on Nameck and was known to have been allied with those humans. He has not been thought of to be killed, and in fact is probably the source of the power I picked up some time ago."  
  
"And you believe him to be of the Blood-Oozaru level?" Prince Yasai asked, not for the first time.  
  
"That's correct, my lord." Bejita said, bowing for the third time.  
  
Yasai wasn't the first in line to the throne back on the Saiyan planet, but he was the first-born son and thus he had inherited the family name and the name of the planet. His elder sister, Princess Nira, would be King. Nevertheless, Yasai was a person of very great importance. If he felt he wasn't being shown the proper respect from Bejita, Bejita would be killed at once.  
  
Anbe was another member of the royal family, a cousin of Yasai's half brother. She was fiercely patriotic and prejudiced against other, inferior, alien races, but more importantly she was the lover of the third member of the group, Baiseru.  
  
Baiseru was by at least twenty years older then the others, and he was the head of the Royal Army. The Army was more like a highly trained group of bodyguards then anything, but they were without a doubt the best people to have around in a fight. Outside of the royal family, Baiseru was without doubt the strongest Saiyan in the universe.  
  
Bejita considered himself briefly. He was the only child of his parents, a pair of second class warriors. He had never been really the fighting type -- a black sheep of the Saiyan society -- but his studies on alien life and inventions for measuring alien power were known throughout the planet for their usefulness, despite having been created by a Saiyan _scientist_.  
  
Although that was only a loose was of terming Bejita's job... he did not try to learn the mysteries of the universe or figure out how to build faster spaceships and better armor. Instead, he studied other alien races power. He would often be given a list of planets chosen for purging, and Bejita would then check the relative fighting strength of the aliens upon it. It was in this way that he had discovered the other Saiyan's power, two years ago. A faint, but unmistakable energy signature that only Saiyans made, and only at the Blood Oozaru level.  
  
After two months of paperwork and waiting, permission to have an audience with the royal family had been granted to discuss his discoveries. After nearly a year, the permission to send a party out to research this power had been granted, a party consisting of three of the most powerful people on Planet Yasai and in the universe.  
  
It had taken half a year to arrive at Planet Plant's location, and now it seemed it would take a full year to reach Earth... Bejita did some quick calculations in his head, trying to find a way they could go to Earth and back to Yasai within the three-year limit they had been given. It would be close...  
  
"Bejita." Baiseru said. "Finish your report, and stop standing about like a fool."  
  
Realizing his error in drifting off into thought when he shouldn't have, Bejita bowed deeply before finishing his report. "In conclusion, while no one knows exactly where this Saiyan disappeared to, all agree that he was last seen with the Humans, and in any case the power my computers sensed fits with the location on Earth."  
  
"And it will take a year to arrive?" Baiseru asked. "That is somewhat extreme."  
  
"And not worth it if the least, if I am to be asked." Anbe added. "We have already wasted a year. Leave the traitor to die on the Planet Earth, he doesn't matter to the great Saiyan race."  
  
However, no matter what the other Saiyan thought, it was ultimately Prince Yasai's decision. After a minute, he spoke. "We'll continue on to Earth to retrieve the Saiyan, as planned. But we shall go as quickly as our supplies and ship allow."  
  
"How long will it take?"  
  
"Approximately ten months."  
  
Prince Yasai was silent for a moment, before nodding. "Very well."  
  
**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
_  
_**_ **Name Puns:**  
  
**Madrid **-- Keeping with Goten's liking of girls named for cities in Europe, Madrid is the capital of Spain.  
  
**Thanks to Brandon B. for beta-reading!!! **_****  
**  
**


	3. Chapter Three: Siblings

  
  
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_  
  
Chapter Three: Siblings.  
  
March 7th, 796 A.D -- March 8th, 796 A.D_  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**Goten knew** his reputation. He was not quite, but close to, a play-boy according to it, someone who would use and loose his girlfriends. The only reason he had any girlfriends in the first place was because they all thought they could change him, and that they would be the ones to make the very eligible Son Goten want marriage.  
  
Goten knew his reputation, and didn't try to deny it. He was satisfied with it... in his mind, there was no use in denying the facts, and it wasn't even that he treated his girlfriends badly. He treated them all very well, very politely, and that was what made them think they were the 'special' one.  
  
Of course, they never were. Goten had long since known that he would never marry or have children, ever. He had first known it immediately after his first date in high school, at the age of fifteen. He would not marry and have children, because he knew as well as everyone how much he was like his father.  
  
And Goten also knew as well as anyone that his father was a lousy one.  
  
It was one of the first things he explained to his girlfriends -- albeit highly paraphrased, and leaving out several details of his life -- and it was usually greeted with smiles that meant that she thought that she would be the one to change it, or looks of relief from the more like-minded women.  
  
Marron, however, was silent and rather expressionless. Goten wasn't even sure why he had told her all that, seeing as it was only a first "date" and all, but the topic of Goku had come up, and it had only taken a few minutes before Goten's story had trickled out.  
  
After a minute of being stared at by the blonde, Goten averted his gaze. "What?" He asked.  
  
Marron blinked. "Oh, sorry."  
  
"You apologize too much." Goten commented.  
  
They had spent the entire afternoon together, after the movie they were able to find conversation from it, and had gone from Satan City Mall to Goten's apartment to drop off Madrid's purchases. Once there, they had ended up staying and watching some T.V together -- turned out both Goten and Marron liked silly game-shows -- and chatting over it. After that Goten had burned them some dinner, and they were now talking over the table, still covered with dirty dishes.  
  
Marron began to apologize again, but stopped herself. Goten looked at her critically, an idea dawning on him.  
  
"You've been... shrinking me, haven't you?" He accused gently, more teasing then angry.  
  
Marron caught that, and smiled teasingly. "I'm _sorry_."  
  
"Have you, though?"  
  
"It's a bit of a habit," Marron said. "I'll stop if you'd like."  
  
Goten paused, nodding, before grinning consciously. "So... am I crazy?"  
  
"Well," Marron said seriously leaning forward over the table and looking sympathetic, before giggling at Goten's surprised look. She was very good at being deadpan serious, it turned out. "No, you're not crazy."  
  
It struck Goten as a little odd, the way Marron was now so confident and... he didn't know what, exactly, but something besides that was different about her. She certainly was more... attractive then she used to be.  
  
Marron glanced at a wall clock, and stood up in surprise at the late hour. "I should be getting back." She said. "It's nearly ten."  
  
Goten also glanced at the clock, affirming the time. He waved off Marron's attempts at clearing the table. "I'll do it, don't worry." he said cheerfully, walking with her a moment later to the door.  
  
"Oh... alright." Marron said uncertainly, wanting to do the polite thing but not wanting to argue over it. It wasn't that big of a deal, anyway. She slipped on her shoes while Goten opened the door for her. "I'll see you around, then? This has been a lot of fun!" Marron said cheerfully.  
  
Goten nodded, and hesitated. Marron caught the look, and remembered what had happened last time the Saiyan had given in to her. "Want to get together again sometime?"  
  
"So we're dating?" Marron asked, blushing very slightly. One date could be written off as catching up between old friends, but two definitely implied something else.  
  
"Sure!" Goten said with a grin. "When do you start work?"  
  
"Next Monday, a week from now." Marron said slowly, a little shy now.  
  
"How about Friday, then?" Goten suggested. "What's your phone number, I'll call you."  
  
Marron gave it to him, writing it on a piece of paper from a small notepad she carried in her purse. Although her shyness had slowly vanished over the course of the afternoon, it was returning now with a vengeance.  
  
"Great," Goten said, looking briefly at the paper before shoving it in his pocket. "See you then..." He suddenly leant down -- Marron was at least a head shorter then him -- and kissed Marron on the cheek.  
  
Marron blushed furiously, and Goten grinned in a way that very much echoed his father. "See you!" He said, closing the door to his apartment behind him.  
  
Marron walked down the hall to the elevator -- Goten was on the ninth floor, it wouldn't do to walk all that -- slowly. Although it hadn't really been a kiss, it had been Marron's first... as sad as that sounded to her, to receive her first kiss at the age of twenty-four, almost five. And from Goten, of all people!  
  
It wasn't a real secret; Marron thought as she waited for the elevator, that she had had a small crush on Goten when she was younger... around the age of thirteen. That was part of the reason she had accepted Goten's date, despite what she knew about him. It would be foolish to think that they would stay together for too long -- Marron was smarter then that -- but she couldn't help but think now that maybe there would be something, maybe.  
  
It didn't hurt to dream, after all.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**Most people** hate high-school, but Bra was the exception to that and most other rules. Like the rule that to be popular you had to be an idiot, and the rule that just because your family was weird beyond belief meant that you were too.  
  
Yes, Bra hadn't even entered High School but she had already mastered it.  
  
She had been prepping herself for the school year to come since graduating from West City Junior High, and now that school's start was less then a month away Bra was finalizing her preparations... namely, buying her school clothes.  
  
Trunks, the very picture of misery, was slumped down in one of the small chairs in the dressing room area of the store he and Bra were visiting. His suit was mussed and shirt un-tucked and he was rubbing one of his temples to try and ease a headache caused by his sister's dragging him from store to store for the better part of the day. "You do realize that West City High uses uniforms, right?" he muttered.  
  
Bra rolled her eyes and glanced at the first of her shopping bags, the one that contained her newly purchased school uniform -- a gray pleated skirt, white blouse, navy blue vest, knee socks and black shoes -- before turning back to admire her new outfit in the mirror. It suited her much better, a bright red mini dress.  
  
"There's always after school." Bra replied, checking how the dress looked from the back.  
  
Trunks didn't bother to reply to that, but he did groan. "Can you hurry?"  
  
"You should be glad I'm taking my time." Bra said, heading back into the changing room to take off the outfit for purchase. "It means more time out of the office for you."  
  
"I'd rather be at work." Trunks replied, mostly to himself because Bra was now changing. He sat up in the chair and attempted to straighten his clothes, aware at how sloppy he looked. Although he had volunteered to go with his younger sister to buy her school clothes, he hadn't had an idea at the time as to how long it would take.  
  
After a minute, Bra stepped out of the dressing room wearing her normal clothes (if you could you such a word to describe a red tube-top and black short-shorts) with the dress draped over an arm. "Shall we pay? I'm done here."  
  
Trunks perked up visibly at his sister's words, and Bra laughed. "Only one more store, I promise. After all, you are paying and it wouldn't do to get you pissed." she said teasingly, but friendlily.  
  
They walked over to the cash registers -- there was no line, for the store they were in was far too expensive for most -- and Trunks paid for the dress. The clerks recognized them, for Capsule Corporation's owners were very rich and very regular customers. On the way out, Bra suddenly stopped short her walking and clutched her stomach.  
  
"You okay?" Trunks asked, concerned. Bra frowned deeply.  
  
"Yeah. My stomach just hurt for a moment." she replied, sounding a little confused. "It's gone now." Bra brightened. "Must be cramps."  
  
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Thanks for keeping me informed."  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**"So, let** me get this straight." #17 said slowly. "You're my sister, even though you look completely different then you should. And we were kidnapped by that guy I used to work for, and turned into cyborgs. Except then I tried to kill you, so you helped kill me, and then I got turned into a human again for the hell of it."  
  
#18 wished he wouldn't make it sound so much like a bad soap opera, but she nodded.  
  
They were sitting alone in the Kame House's living room, her on the sofa and him on one of the chairs. None of the home's other residents were anywhere to be seen or heard, even Turtle, which lead to an uneasy background silence for the middle of the afternoon... normally, Roshi's television programs or Krillen's chatter or Oolong's whines made for a background screen but today there was only the sound of waves on the beach.  
  
#17 paused before speaking, and when he did he looked her straight in the eyes with his now larger and human shaped ones. "Have you ever considered seeing a shrink?"  
  
'Don't punch him; he's just being stupid right now.' #18 told herself sternly, jaw clenched. She normally never had these violent urges, only when #17 was around. Maybe it was part of her programming, maybe it was just because #17 was annoying: #18 didn't know or care.  
  
"I believe it, I guess." #17 said finally, after several moments of awkward silence. He said it casually, as if it didn't matter what his past was or not. "I mean, I do remember what Gero did, so I guess the rest makes sense, sort of."  
  
"You... remember?" #18 asked. She didn't, and for the first time she saw potential usefulness in #17's revival. Baba had mentioned that he was essentially 'from the past,' so wouldn't it stand to reason that he might remember life as a human before Gero? #18 could remember hardly anything about her human life, only a few scattered memories... playing in a park, being introduced with her brother after changing schools, her first day of work in an after-school job, throwing a snowball.  
  
If #17 could remember more, then...  
  
"A bit." #17 said with a nod. "This is kinda weird," he mused, "that I remember only up 'til a certain point, and you can't remember anything before it." He blinked. "So, I, uh, tried to kill you, huh?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
He said nothing more about it, but neither did #18. The siblings were silent a moment.  
  
"What am I going to do?" #17 asked. "Live here or something?"  
  
#18 nodded. Although it had been over a full day since #17's arrival, the other residents of the Kame House had been making themselves very scarce since word of #17's arrival had reached them, delegating her to be the one to explain everything to him.  
  
While she had been resentful and angry towards him at first, #18 had quickly found herself feeling... if not happy about #17's return, not upset either. Perhaps because he was so clueless about everything that had happened in the last thirty years, perhaps because he was literarily harmless, but in any case #18's qualms about #17's new life were very quickly vanishing.  
  
Even if she didn't really like it.  
  
"Marron has just moved out, so I suppose you could use her room." #18 said. #17 looked blank. "My daughter. Your niece." she elaborated.  
  
"How many years has it been since Gero took us?" #17 asked, surprised and obviously unaware up until that moment that there was a daughter to begin with. "I mean, obviously a lot, but --"  
  
"At least thirty." #18 said, thinking of the time since and a possible estimate for time Gero took to create them. She realized that she'd need to explain a little of her social life, too, instead of just a brief recounting of fights and villains faced. "I've been married for most of that time, and my daughter is twenty-five."  
  
"Oh." #17 said. "I'm eighteen."  
  
#18 tried to ignore _that_ statement the best she could.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
_  
No Name Puns this chapter.  
  
**Thanks to Brandon B. for beta reading!!!**_


	4. Chapter Four: Anger

  
  
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_Chapter Four: Anger  
  
March 9th, 796 AD -- March 10th, 796 AD._  
  
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**That evening,** as Anbe left Baiseru's chambers for her own, she turned and paused at the doorway. "I am too young to remember the events that caused General Vegeta to desert the Empire so, but you were alive then, were you not?" she asked, a round-a-bout way of asking for a brief history.  
  
"I was mearly a child, then." Baiseru replied. "Perhaps eight years of age."  
  
"But you know the reason? Surely, for you are a member of my family by rank, and have served us -- with the rest of your family -- since birth. You must have heard something as to why." Anbe said poiltely, eyes adverted.  
  
Although the two were lovers, it was hard to tell by their speech and actions. They had a truly divided relationship -- at night, and by day. There were no feelings of love between them, just a mutual desire. If Anbe became pregnant from these events, if would become a different thing intirely, but as she wasn't the protective and caring intincts of a Saiyan male had no reason to emerge.  
  
"Why the intrest?" Baiseru asked.  
  
"I know that they are traitors that the fires of the ten Hells of Yusho, the Saiyan God, shall burn hotter then for any for betreying our race and King by forming a planet of their own and instilling a false man as King, but besides that I was not informed of anything else."  
  
"There is not much else," Baiseru replied, sounding a little annoyed, "Vegeta was a general of the first class Army, until it was discovered he planned treason. He and his troops -- several thousand in number -- were sent to purge a planet inhabited by a difficult to destroy race, the Fruits. It was expected they fail, but while it took the army a good amount of time, they destroyed the Fruits. Instead of returning to us on Planet Yasai, the traitor Vegeta named the planet after himself and proclaimed himself ruler of the Saiyan race, with his army acting as his population. A few years later, he was idiotic enough to join forces with Merchant Freeza, and they were soon after killed."  
  
"Freeza had been trying to get us to join him, before that." Anbe commented. Baiseru gave her a withering look that meant to point out that it was a general fact that went without saying.  
  
She frowned briefly, before remembering how that overstepped her ranking. Although a member of the royal family and thus better then most Saiyan, she was only a cousin. Baiseru was, despite his complete lack of royal blood, more important then she, and thus would be a good father for any children she might have, both genetically and politically.  
  
"And then when little Bejita," Baiseru finished, using the adjective to convey not the Scientist's height but low power, "Discovered the Blood Oozaru, and all of the true Saiyan were accounted for, we knew then that one of the traitorous scum had to be the sorce. Due to our war with the Bath planets, such power is in short supply, thus this voyage." The general paused. "Is that clear now, Anbe?" He asked, condencingly.  
  
"Of course, General." Anbe replied with a bow, modestly making up for her overstepping in asking such a un-important question of her better. "I shall now take my leave of you, should you grant it."  
  
Baiseru paused. "No... stay a moment."  
  
Anbe stepped back away from the door and bowed again while smiling slightly. "If it pleases you."  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**When #18** had suggested #17 'settle in' his new room, he had done so without question... although, it did occer to him when he arrived that he had nothing but what he was wearing to 'settle in' with. The room was very small, more like a large closet, and painted in various shades of pink and white, to his annoyance. #17 wondered if it wasn't too early to ask for the room to be painted.  
  
He also wondered why he kept thinking of himself as 'Number 17.'  
  
He had lied, a little, earlier. He didn't remember what Gero had done, but he did remember Gero before, and the sheer difference in how his sister looked was enough to convince him... Gero had always been a creepy old bastard, and #17 could remember #16 well enough.  
  
Well, mostly. The way his sister had described the robot, briefly, had sounded different -- more polished -- then the version #17 had seen, that day... he frowned, thinking of it.  
  
At the age of sixteen, #17 had made an enemy out of the head of the only gang at his high school, which hadn't concerned him in the way his sister had insisted it should. He didn't even remember how he had managed it, but it _might_ have had something to do with his sister. Or rather, the many guys at school who had found her attractive and wanted to date -- in actuality, sleep with -- her.  
  
In any case, two weeks after #17 had become aware of the guy's hatred towards him, there had been a big fight during lunch hour, #17 versus him and three of his friends.  
  
#17 had ended up with a bad cut on his arm from a pocket knife, the leader had ended up in the hospital with a broken nose and concussion, and his cohorts fared little better. His triumph had, unfortunatly, been cut short by his expelsion.  
  
His parents_ and_ sister had been furious, #17 remembered, and they hadn't accepted his excuse -- his_ reasoning_ -- that it wasn't his fault that he had beaten the others. He was defending his sister --  
  
_ "I can take care of myself, without the help of my _little_ brother!" _  
  
-- She had said cooly -- and besides, what of the stitches he had recieved in his arm? Didn't that justify breaking the other guy's nose? Apparently, it didn't. A month of being grounded later, #17 had found that his parents had gotten him a part-time job working in a shady (but willing to employ a sixteen-year-old delinquint) place called "Gero Cyertronics."  
  
Actually, as a kid #17 had read a lot of science fiction_ manga_ (the irony didn't fail him now), and had at first been quite interested in working there. Something about building robotic arms and legs for people that needed them was sort of... _cool._  
  
Even if there were rumors floating around North Capital that Gero had once been a very strong supporter to the Red Ribbon Army, #17 hadn't paid attention. It had only been ten years since the army's defeat, and people were still supicious. He had been just eight at the time of all the fighting, and really remembered nothing of it, but as far as #17 was concerned people were just being paranoid about Gero's past.  
  
But everything had been fine. Sure, #17 was absolutly miserable at home, but Gero didn't seem to mind if he stayed extra at work. And it was nice to have some money, even if he was very rarely allowed to go anywhere and spend it. After spending a few weeks working at and hanging about the labs, #17 had developed a healthy respect and suspicion of his boss.  
  
Respect because Gero seemed like a mostly okay guy... he let #17 take breaks, whenever he wanted (which was often), and gave him money for the old soda machience in the corner whenever it was wanted. It had really almost been like the doctor hadn't _cared_ if #17 worked or not, as long as he was there. Which, in reflection, was probably the case.  
  
And the reason he had found the man suspicious. Dr. Gero had been too willing to let #17 do nothing. He had a suspicious nature, and had been willing to compile a mental list of Thing Gero Did Creepily, which had included things like the way Dr. Gero would ask #17 to lift a fairly heavy box and just _watch_, intently. And the way he would ask questions, abruptly, about his homelife, his sister. Did they get along? Did she fight too? How much do your parents care for you? As #17 would take his lunchbreak, eating cold _ramen_ flavored heavily of fake beef, he'd notice how Gero would sit nearby, staring, eyes wandering all over his body and a look of faint delight.  
  
But #17 had decided his employer was a pervert, and that he was strong enough to beat him in a fight, if it came to that.  
  
Of course, when that fight had come, he had lost -- busy defending his sister with one arm and busy trying to keep the other being broken by a then half-completed #16, all steel frame with no 'skin' over, yet.  
  
Shortly after his sister's graduation from high school, she had met him at work. She had -- by then -- forgiven him for being expelled, and they were to go partying -- because they could, because they wanted to, because their parents were out of town because of a sick grandparent.  
  
But Gero had also stepped out, and full of curiousity at being able to explore all of the lab for the first time and confidence that being with his twin had caused #17 to ask his sister to wait a few minutes, first.  
  
He wondered now why he hadn't been suspicious of the coincidence.  
  
But they had explored, calling to eachother when they found something interesting. A robotic arm with a remote control that he had sent skittering over the floor, haphazardly chasing his sister, blueprints for a robot -- suspicious now, cool then -- and then, finally, #16 itself.  
  
They had stood over the coffin-like box in awe, admiring the metal that twisted and turned and jointed to make a giant, humanoid figure, and Dr. Gero had choosen that time to re-appear.  
  
At first he had been nice, in that suspicious way of his. He had complimented his sister's ripped jacket and mini-skirt, telling her she was 'much more beautiful close up.' Warning bells had rang, but they were of a sort that could be blamed on wanting to protect your sister from perverts.  
  
Gero had then asked -- _"hypothetically, of course!"_ -- if they would like to rule the world, given the opportunity. His sister had scoffed, eyebrow raised.  
  
_"What kind of a question is that, old man?"_  
  
He had -- by then -- gotten to the point where he knew such questions were meant seriously. He thought of all the people out to get him, and answered that it might be cool. Gero had smiled, and quietly asked --  
  
_"If I let you, could you?"_  
  
-- While activating #16 with a controlled in his hand.  
  
It had gone quickly downhill from there.  
  
**...#17 was** pulled abruptly out of his revire by loud voices downstairs. The pink walls startled him at first, as did the warm sea air, and he remembered he was at #18's place, not at home, and it had been forty-some years since he was home last, technically.  
  
He felt dumb for having gotten so caught up in his memories, really, and to forget them #17 instead decided to listen in on the other residents of his new home. From the sounds, there were three people besides #18, all male.  
  
"-- Still my house, and I say --"  
  
"-- Understand that this is important to you, but --"  
  
"-- Else is he supposed to go? --"  
  
" -- Killed all those --"  
  
"He's HARMLESS!" #18 shouted, startling #17 -- who had crept out of his room to try and listen to the hushed conversation better. He retreated back to his room, getting the idea as to who the conversation was about.  
  
What had caused them all to hate him so much?  
  
"-- Know that you feel strongly about -- fact is -- killed _me_ --"  
  
#17 headed back to his vantage point above the stairs, feeling like a kid listening in on one of his parent's arguements - not liking to listen but being unable to tear himself away.  
  
" -- Just that --" #18 said, quiet, " -- Knows about --"  
  
Everyone fell silent. #17 crept halfway down the stairs, having completely missed what had been said. He figured that, since it was about him_ anyway_ there was nothing wrong with listening in.  
  
" -- If you really feel -- him stay here --" A short man with greying hair was saying softly to #18, who was standing with her back to #17, facing him, an old man, and a pig-man. Her fists were clenched.  
  
" -- Just that I don't remember -- wondered, for years -- now a chance --" #18 said. #17 wanted to climb further down the stairs to hear better, but it was a wonder they hadn't noticed him already. He couldn't understand, through the bits he heard, what was going on, besides that they were all argueing over whether or not he should stay.  
  
" -- Vouch for him -- Responsable." #18 said, quieter still. She seemed to realize how pathetic she sounded then, and straightened up, unclenching and reclenching her fists. She turned suddenly, to go upstairs, and saw him.  
  
#18's eyes widened minutely.  
  
#17's eyes widened humongusly. And, feeling a small child, he let out an 'eep' and scurried up the stairs, curseing his sudden cowardice all the while.  
  
"Was that him?" Krillen asked, sounding mildly surprised at how different his wife's twin suddenly looked and acted.  
  
"Yes." #18 said, back to her usual short, emotionless answers. "I'll go call the others, and tell them."  
  
Roshi had been sitting, mostly quiet, during the exchange, but now he stood and cleared his throat. "I know I'm not your relative -- although I could be your sugar daddy if you wanted--," he added, wagging his eyebrows and #18, "But this is my house, still, and I don't want him living in it!"  
  
Oolong nodded furiously in agreement, and Krillen looked ashamed for not remembering that fact before agreeing that #17 could stay.  
  
#18's look could have frozen lava. "He stays."  
  
"But --" Roshi said.  
  
"He might be a weakling now, but I'm not. Got it, old man?"  
  
Protests died weakly as #18 marched off to the kitchen.  
  
**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Worried sick,** Videl picked up the phone on its first ring. "Hello, Mrs. Bulma?" she asked, believing to know the speaker already, "Any news about Bra?"  
  
"It's me." #18 said on the other end. Videl was immediatly embarressed for presuming. "What about Bra?"  
  
"Uh -- well, that's right, we hadn't called yet -- Well, Pan-chan took her entrance exams to West City High today, and on the way home stopped at Capsule Corp.," Videl rambled, "And once there she foud Bra, very ill and complaining of an upset stomach. Well, Pan-chan -- thankfully she was responcable enough to realize! -- took Bra to the hospital because Trunks and Bulma were out, and, well, Bra's being opperated on right now. Her appendix was fit to burst, and if Pan hadn't arrived just then -- because Bra is too proud to admit pain and that sort of thing -- then everything would have been really serious. But Bulma's worried _sick_, and --"  
  
Videl paused. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you don't need every detail."  
  
"That's alright." #18 said, thinking of Bra. She and her family rarely saw Bulma's family without the Sons also present, and so her veiw of the girl was probably a few years outdated. Blue hair, sharp face, tight clothing, talkative. Did Saiyan even have appendixes?  
  
"Well, Ma'am, may I ask why you're calling?" Videl asked presently.  
  
"Just to let you know that... my brother has been reincarnted and will be staying with me and Krillen at the Kame house."  
  
Now it was Videl's turn to be silent and try and place this person. #18's brother... well, she had heard stories from Gohan of course, but she didn't think she had ever seen him... excepting from a distance two years ago, when he killed all those people. He looked a lot like #18, Gohan had said, except with black hair instead of blonde.  
  
"Isn't that dangerous?" Videl said, a bit too loudly, "He killed all of those people, including your husband!"  
  
#18's voice was tense. "Yes, I_ know_. He's _human_ now, so you ought to know how little of a_ threat _to _anyone_ that makes him." Her words were meant to insult, and they did. Videl fumed silently on the other line for a minute.  
  
"Well, I don't know about this!" she cried. "I know he's your brother and all, but--"  
  
"Listen, I didn't call you to ask your opinion!" #18 said, voice growing loud. "I called so you can tell your husband and all the other Sons that my brother is _alive_ and _human_ and _weak_ and he will be staying all three at the Kame house. I'm not as strong as a Saiyan, true, but I_ think_ I can handle my younger brother!"  
  
"And what if he learns to fight? Humans can kill eachother just fine without _ki_, you know." Videl said angrily.  
  
"He won't learn to fight, he won't use ki, and if he does _ANYTHING_ he shouldn't I'll take full responcability. Now, spread the word, tell Bra to get well soon, and have a good day!" #18 said forcefully, hanging up the phone so hard that it was unattached from its plastic holder on the wall.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
_  
**Name Puns:**  
  
**Yusho** -- The word for "Soy-Sauce" with flipped sylables, but also (amusingly enough) the word "Victory" in Japanese.  
  
**Thanks to Brandon B. for beta-reading as usual!!!! **  
_


	5. Chapter Five: Sons and Fights

  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
_Chapter Five: Sons and Fights  
  
March 12th, 796 AD -- April 1st, 796 AD_  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**Pan didn't** think it was arrogant to not have been surprised when -- a mere two days after her entrance exams -- a call was placed to the Son home to inform her parents she had been accepted into West City High. It wasn't arrogance, because Pan _had_ done rather well on the tests, and because her father was rather well known in the educational world.  
  
She had always assumed that famous relatives were what colleges looked for, not high schools, but apparently that wasn't always the case, especially after the woman giving her the exams had mentioned her father's latest paper -- Pan hadn't actually read it, something she had neglected to mention at the time -- and how the athletic squad was looking forward to having her name -- really, her grandfather's -- on one of their teams. Pan wasn't really a fan of team sports, and rarely played if she could help it, but she had no doubts that all it would take was her grandfather Satan's name to get on any of the teams the school had.  
  
Her parents and grandmother had of course been thrilled, although Goten hadn't quite been -- "Geez, I was hoping I wouldn't be the only idiot!" He had said teasingly, looking distracted. Probably, Pan figured, because he lately not liked to spend much time around the Son home, preferring his apartment in Satan City, away from his family. Pan didn't really like this, Goten had always been one of her favorite people growing up, and still felt rather close to him (his thoughts on the matter had never been asked, and Pan wasn't sure she wanted to know).  
  
But as soon as the news had come, Chi-Chi had run to the kitchen to start cooking a feast of Pan's favorite foods, and her father had gone to call Bulma and family to let them know the news. Goten had been rushed over from his place to join in the family celebrations, and Pan had felt a little overwhelmed. Sure, she wouldn't argue with all her favorite foods in one dinner, and it did feel nice to be complimented so much, but it was a little crazy none-the-less. Maybe, Pan mused, Goten didn't go to fancy private schools (and college; don't forget that) because he hadn't wanted to be the center of attention like this.  
  
She glanced over at her uncle, who was sprawled on the couch watching television and playing with his -- turned off -- cell phone with a frown. He did seem a little different today... Goten glanced over at his niece with a frown.  
  
"Stop staring at me, kiddo. Really now."  
  
Pan glared at the nickname, and crossed her arms while leaning back in the armchair she sat in.  
  
"So what do you want?" Goten asked, turning the phone over and over in his hands. He had bought a new one, Pan noticed; his old one had been black, and this one was silver. But really, the way he kept fiddling with it wasdistracting. Something seemed off for sure, Pan didn't think her uncle was the nervous movement type.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"What were you staring at me for?" Goten said slowly, enunciating each word and sounding irritated. "Did you have a question?"  
  
"Where's mom?" Pan said, wanting to ask something so as not to annoy Goten further.  
  
"Videl's upstairs. She's in a bad mood for some reason."  
  
'_Look who's talking..._' Pan thought grumpily, the irritability catching. She stood and went to the kitchen, where her grandmother complimented her again for making it into West City High and told her to chop up some vegetables in the same sentence.  
  
Goten, still in the living room, looked down at his cell phone again. He was in a bad mood, and half of it was because he knew he had no reason to be. When he had been invited to -- more like a "be there or else" from his mother -- Pan's party early this morning, Goten had thought it would be a good chance to casually mention that he was now dating Marron.  
  
Normally he never brought up his new girlfriends unless they would be meeting his family -- which was fairly rare -- but something about it being _Marron_ made him feel like it was his obligation to tell. They knew her as well as him, after all. In fact, Goten had realized with surprise, his mother had used to baby-sit her sometimes.  
  
But for some reason, he was oddly reluctant. He had seemed nothing wrong with asking Marron out at the time, and knew for experience that his mother's or brother's thoughts on his girlfriend of the month would only serve to make Goten feel guilty for dating someone that was usually best described as a "bimbo." He shouldn't feel guilty about who he dated because of what his family thought, that was just dumb. Not _everyone_ could marry the first person they kissed, after all.  
  
And there was really no reason to feel guilty about dating Marron, was there? She was smart, good-looking, kind, polite, and a thousand other things that Goten's mother was always telling him to look for in a woman. To help matters, she was also the daughter of Goten's father's best friend! Surely that would count as good in Chi-Chi's book; to unite the blood-lines or whatever?  
  
But Goten couldn't help but quietly think that his family would be thinking more in terms of borderline incest then making two families closer. But that shouldn't matter either -- it wasn't like Goten meant for his relationship with Marron to be a serious or particularly long lasting one. In fact, with all the negative thoughts he was now having, Goten thought perhaps it would be simpler to just end the new relationship quickly and be done with it.  
  
So why wasn't he? His cell-phone was out, and he had Marron's phone number in his pocket. It was just that Goten felt like he was missing some absolutely crucial bit of information, something that he should know but couldn't remember. There was _something_ that made Goten stop and think that he needed to figure out what it was before doing anything about his new girlfriend, good or bad.  
  
For now, there was no use thinking about it. Goten closed the cell-phone and stood, slipping in into his pocket. He had no reason to worry about what his family thought about his new girlfriend that he had been dating for three days and had only kissed once on the cheek. It barely counted as a relationship in the first place, so there was no use spending all his time thinking about it.  
  
With a sigh, he realized he _was_ still thinking about it. As Pan had done minutes earlier, Goten headed into the kitchen to be ordered into cooking by his mother.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
**  
  
**  
**After dinner**, which was mostly silent thanks to the presence three Saiyan and large amounts of food, Goten had decided to inform his family about Marron, only to have his sister-in-law speak up first.  
  
"#17's back." Videl said suddenly, taking a sip of her water. The conversation around the table had been in a lull, and now it stopped entirely.  
  
"Pardon?" Gohan asked, in the air of having misunderstood.  
  
"Cyborg #17. He's back." Videl put the glass on the table with a loud clunk. "I got a call from #18 just a short time before dinner."  
  
The feelings the Son family had towards this news was obvious. Pan, who had only known of #17 through his attacks on her friends and family two years ago, looked wide-eyed at her mother's news -- both scared and determined to do what was needed to stop #17's threat.  
  
If you didn't know better, you'd think Gohan didn't care about the news -- his expression was between curious and blank. Only a slight narrowing of his eyes and tensing of his shoulders proved otherwise; of the family he was the only one who remembered #17 clearly, and even if the cyborg hadn't really turned out as evil as the other, "Future" Trunks had said -- at the time -- Gohan could still remember the three years he had spent training, afraid of what the kid from the future had told of.  
  
Chi-Chi seemed just as upset as Videl. Her face was angry and lips pursed. She had been pouring herself a glass of water from a pitcher, and continued to do so with her fists clenched white.  
  
Goten, like Pan, looked a little surprised and a little wary. He knew of the stories a little better then she, being older and having spent a good deal of his childhood around #18, but didn't know what to think. Sure, #17 had gone crazy two years ago, but he had been killed fairly quickly... and #18 wasn't evil, so why should her brother be?  
  
Videl was, of course, angry. She still smarted from #18's insults towards humanity as a whole from earlier, and the knowledge that her advice -- get rid of #17 -- had been completely ignored. She knew from her husband what #17 had done -- and was programed to do -- and in her mind he had, unlike #18, never proven himself otherwise.  
  
"Are you sure?" Chi-Chi asked finally. Videl recounted to her family what had happened in the earlier conversation, and was greeted by a second silence.  
  
"So what's going to happen?" Pan asked, looking nervously at both her parents She looked ready to jump up and fly over to the Kame house to attack if need be, and it would have looked funny if the whole thing didn't seem to serious.  
  
Goten thought back to that time, two years ago. He hadn't really been involved at all, only giving a futile shot at stopping #17 once he had fused with his other self. He had been much busier with his girlfriend... Paris? Goten didn't remember exactly, but he did think back at his show-off behavior around her with a certain embarrassment. He realized that his train of thought was highly off track, and attempted to re-align it -- #17 is bad! After another moment, however, he found himself thinking back to Paris.  
  
She had been a first for Goten... before then he had dated whoever he thought might be fun, but Paris was an aspiring model and with her Goten had branched out specifically into beautiful air-heads. Why had they broken up? Oh, that was right -- she kept bragging that her boyfriend was a super-hero and Goten had gotten annoy--  
  
Someone nudged Goten in the ribs. Hard. Goten glared at Pan.  
  
"I _said_," Pan repeated, sounding annoyed, "Why did he come back to life?"  
  
"How should I know?" Goten muttered.  
  
"You weren't listening!" Pan said, "This is really important!"  
  
"Stop bickering, you two." Gohan said wearily, "But I was wondering the same thing. Videl, did #18 mention why #17 was back?"  
  
"No..." Videl said, neglecting to mention how she had yelled at #18, probably cutting off any explanation that would have been given. "Just that he was reincarnated... and as a human."  
  
"Oh," Pan said, sounding a little let down, "Human?"  
  
Struck by the unintentional similarity between Pan's comment and #18's Videl snapped a bit as she answered. "Yes, a _human_."  
  
"Well..." Pan said, sounding hurt, "Then there's no reason to worry..."  
  
Thankfully, Chi-Chi spoke up before Videl said something to her daughter that she'd later regret. "Don't be silly, Pan. He might not be able to hurt us, but the world contains more people then just Saiyan and _ki_ using humans."  
  
Pan looked thoughtful, before nodding frantically. "So let's go get him!"  
  
Gohan looked like he might laugh. "Pan, violence doesn't solve everything."  
  
"Who said it--" Pan started, only to be interrupted by Goten.  
  
"Didn't you say that #18 said that he wasn't going to hurt anybody?" he asked Videl. Reluctantly -- Videl thought Pan's plan was a good one -- she nodded. "Then, maybe we should give #17 a chance." Goten said, "I mean, you guys let Vegeta live a normal life..."  
  
To his surprise, Chi-Chi leant over the table to hug her youngest. "You're so much like your father!" she cried lovingly. Goten pushed her away.  
  
"Mother..." He whined, "Stop that!"  
  
Pan giggled. Gohan smiled, too, but said, "Goten has a point. #18 is responsible, we should give #17 at least one chance at proving himself a good guy. If she says he'll behave, I see no reason not to believe her."  
  
"Gohan!" Videl said with a frown. "I don't see how you can think that #17 should be so easily forgiven!"  
  
"I have good luck with these things, I guess." Gohan explained thoughtfully. "From what I know, almost everyone could be counted as a 'bad guy' at some point -- Mr. Piccolo, Vegeta, #18... Mr. Buu -- and I think Goten is right in suggesting that we let #17 have his chance. Besides, if he really is a human it's not too big of a problem if he turns out bad after all."  
  
Videl wondered why everyone today seemed so set on absently insulting mankind with a frown, but was out of arguments. "I strongly disprove of all this." she said, "But I hope there isn't an occasion where I have to say 'I told you so.'"  
  
"That's the spirit." Gohan said with a smile. Pan looked relieved that her parents weren't too worried, and Goten was relieved that Chi-Chi had let go of him. Figuring that after the announcement of #17's return nothing Goten said could be as surprising, he choose that moment to open his mouth.  
  
"I have a new girlfriend." Goten said. Chi-Chi looked at him as if to ask what brought about this change of subject, and Goten swallowed before speaking again. "I think you guys know her... that is, I'm dating Marron now." He tried to look confident.  
  
Pan's eyes widened an impossible amount. "You're dating _Marron_? That's... so cool!" she exclaimed. "She'd be such a cool aunt! Much better then your bimbo girlfriends!"  
  
"I'm not going to _marry_ her." Goten said hastily. No one else said anything, but their looks were too carefully bland. Goten sighed and took a big bite of his steak. It looked like "borderline incest" was the thought, after all.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**"When is** Bra getting out of the hospital?" Chi-Chi asked presently, after a rather long and -- to Goten -- uncomfortable silence.  
  
"'Mor'w." Pan said, mouth half full of food. She swallowed, and repeated herself. Tomorrow."  
  
"Have you visited her since she got ill?" Chi-Chi pressed.  
  
Pan shrugged. "I called."  
  
Gohan frowned. "Pan, she's your friend. You should visit her."  
  
"Well, it's too late for that now," Pan said, "Since she gets out tomorrow."  
  
"Nonsense," Chi-Chi said briskly. "You'll visit after dinner."  
  
"...Grandma, its three hours away. And besides, visiting hours _must_ have ended by now."  
  
"Bra is staying at that private hospital. There are no visiting hours, unless surgery or something like that is taking place." Chi-Chi said with a smug smile, "I remember because that's where Goten and you were born; Bulma got us in."  
  
Pan picked at the leftovers on her plate. "I don't _want _to visit Bra."  
  
"Pan, that's awfully selfish of you!" Videl said. "Bra's ill in the hospital, and the least you can do is stop by for a visit. I'll call Mrs. Bulma, and you can spend the night at Capsule Corp."  
  
"You guys just want me out of the house!" Pan said angrily. "You guys _know_ I hate Bra!"  
  
"No you don't." Gohan said, "Stop being so melodramatic, Pan-chan. The two of you may not get along very well, but you are still friends."  
  
"Are not." Pan muttered, sounding defeated. She sighed mournfully. "Why are you guys so set on me visiting, anyway?"  
  
"Because it's the nice thing to do." Chi-Chi stated, and that was the end of that.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**Pan left,** complaining all the while. By some unspoken agreement, Videl and Chi-Chi went to go do the dishes. Goten tried then to excuse himself, wanting to head back to his place, but Gohan had cleared his throat and asked Goten to help him, quickly, to organize some books in the study.  
  
Goten wondered how everyone else had communicated and arranged for this brother to brother chat without him noticing. Was that why Pan had been sent away?  
  
Gohan's study was really just a section of the living room. There were large bookcases that went up to the ceiling against the wall, with a ladder leaning on them, and a desk placed at a diagonal from them, covered in papers and articles that made no sense to Goten: history had never been his strong suit.  
  
Gohan moved a couple books around on his desk, put a particularly large one back in the shelf. Goten leaned on the desk and waited.  
  
"I know I have no real right to command you like this, but I really feel that your dating Marron is a bad idea." Gohan said at last, giving up the pretense of cleaning.  
  
"Well," Goten said, feeling rightfully defensive, "That's what you feel."  
  
"Come off it, little brother." Gohan said, sounding a little annoyed. "I know you better then you think, and I know -- as do Mother and Videl -- that you're just going to sleep with her a few times before dumping her."  
  
Goten didn't like to lie when he could help it, so he refrained from saying something silly like 'not true.' "You've never minded with anyone else." Goten said instead, "And stop implying that I'm some sort of playboy."  
  
Gohan raised an eyebrow. "But Goten -- you are."  
  
During the pause, Goten listened to the dim sound of the radio playing in the kitchen, as with the occasional click of glass or plate. Finally, he replied.  
  
"You've never said anything with my other girlfriends... and this is really none of your business besides."  
  
"I know this isn't my business; however this is _Marron_ we are talking about. She's a family friend -- do you even realize what you're getting into?" Gohan asked levelly.  
  
"Yes." Goten said defiantly. Gohan's look asked him to continue, so Goten did -- angrily and sarcastic. "I'm going to date Marron. I might even sleep with her. Then I'll probably break up with her, and find a new floozy to date. Stop prying into my life, Gohan!"  
  
"It's not your life I'm particularly worried about!" Gohan said angrily, still managing to keep his voice quiet and mostly level. "Have you thought about what will happen after you are through with Marron? Krillen was one of Father's closest friends, and we'll still be seeing him _and_ his family for years to come! If you --_ harm_ -- Marron in any way, then you'll still have to see her for years to come!"  
  
"I've never hurt _any_ of my girlfriends," Goten said, "No matter _how_ much I hated them."  
  
Gohan was quiet, however, and he turned to the bookcase and examined a book. Goten noted dully that it was the same book he had minutes earlier put in the shelves. If the truth was to be told, however, Goten had suddenly been struck with the sense that the missing piece had fallen into place.  
  
But now he felt reluctance to follow his brother's advice and his own feelings. Goten often felt that he was held up against Gohan and compared in-favorably to him, and now that his elder brother thought Goten had to do something... well... The Son family had its own brand of pride and determination that was both like and unlike Vegeta's families, and Goten only felt determined to prove his family wrong --  
  
He _would_ have a lasting, functional relationship with Marron, and that was _that_.  
  
**  
**  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**Pan still **thought that going to a hospital to visit someone at nine o'clock at night was off, somehow, but after flying all the way from East District she thought she may as well.  
  
She wished she had checked the weather before leaving, though -- the problem of flying across the continent was that there were often different weather conditions in West City and East. It was pouring over in West City, Pan was completely soaked.  
  
The receptionist gave Pan a haughty look when she entered, dripping wet and pulling her tee-shirt apart from her body. "Um, I'm here to see Bra."  
  
The woman gave Pan once more scathing look, and adjusted her cat-eye glasses. "And who may you be?"  
  
"Pan. I'm a friend." Pan wanted to wring out her hair, which was sticking to the back of her neck and dripping down her back, but that would be rude.  
  
The receptionist checked something on her computer. "Well, I _suppose_ that you could visit Ms. Bra, but are you sure she'd want to associate herself with someone like you?" she laughed falsely. "I'm sorry, I meant that this is a place for very_ important_ people, and I'm not sure you fit the criteria. But, I'll just send a message along to Ms. Bra, and we'll see if she'll have you. What did you say your surname was, again?"  
  
Pan wanted to punch someone, preferably Ms. Cat-glasses. Out of her anger, she lied a bit. "It would be 'Satan.' Pan Satan."  
  
"Really...?" The woman squeaked. Even in West City, everyone knew of Mr. Satan. Why wouldn't they? He was savior of the world. "...B-but I thought he only had a daughter, and you're much too young..."  
  
"Grand-daughter." Pan said simply. Growing impatient, she tried to unstick her hair from her neck and shoulders. She needed a hair-cut; it was getting too long to be practical in martial arts. "Can I go see Bra now?"  
  
"Do you have ID?" the receptionist said suspiciously, which made Pan wonder if many people entered the hospital pretending to be related to her grandfather. Instead she removed her wallet from her pocket (noting with faint relief that her money wasn't completely soaked through) and took out her old school ID from when she was fourteen.  
  
"It says your surname is "Son" here."  
  
Pan shrugged. "You said it yourself, grandpa had a daughter."  
  
"Hm," The woman said, typing into her computer. A moment later, she -- over an intercom -- asked Bra if Pan could visit. Pan wasn't listening anymore; she was trying to put her wallet back into her jeans.  
  
"I'm sorry, but Ms. Bra doesn't want any visitors right now."  
  
"What?" Pan said, not quite believing it.  
  
"Ms. Bra is not in the mood to see you." The receptionist repeated, sounding smug again. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No way!" Pan said, too loudly. "Tell Bra that I did _not_ fly three hours _in the rain_ just to be told that she doesn't want any visitors!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to allow you to see her without her permission. Please leave now, before I have someone extract you."  
  
Pan was beyond words.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**Pan was **pissed. She arrived at Capsule Corp., still soaked, and seething. She had made up her mind to scream at the first of Bra's family she saw (unless it was Vegeta, Pan was mad but not _stupid_) until she felt better. Then, she'd take one of Bra's favorite outfits from her room and dress in it, just to piss Bra off.  
  
She was so busy planning her revenge against Bra's selfishness that Pan walked right into Trunks, who seemed as surprised about it as she. "Hey!" he exclaimed, dropping the papers he had been reading while walking and swearing loudly. "Watch where you're going... Pan-chan?" Trunks finished weakly; finally looking from the floor to the person he had knocked over.  
  
"Ow." Pan muttered.  
  
Trunks scrambled to his feet and helped Pan up. "Sorry, geez. What are you doing here? You're completely soaked."  
  
"It's raining." Pan pointed out. "My mom called -- I'm staying over here tonight."  
  
"I wouldn't know; I just got home from work." Trunks pointed out, gathering the sheath of papers he had been holding from the floor.  
  
"I was_ going_ to visit Bra," Pan said suddenly, remembering her vow to complain, "But Bra was being a complete bitch and wouldn't see me, even though I flew _all the way_ from home. Which is three hours."  
  
"I know that part." Trunks said with a slight smile. He began to walk towards the kitchen, and Pan was quick to follow. "But I wouldn't be so quick to blame Bra-chan. She's been really ill, you know, even if she is being released tomorrow."  
  
Pan was a little annoyed that Trunks wasn't on her side. In the past two years, ever since their trip through space, Pan had considered herself very close to Trunks -- no matter what his feelings on the matter were. She had realized by now that her desire to be close with Trunks was more based on a crush then friendship, but Pan also wasn't stupid enough to believe there was a chance that Trunks liked her back -- after all, she _was_ only sixteen.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Pan demanded. The pair reached the kitchen, devoid of people but filled with utility sized refrigerators and kitchen supplies.  
  
"Bra's been complaining of being unable to sleep, and she needs rest to heal, so she's been given sleeping medicine each night. She must just have been too tired to visit."  
  
"Huh." Pan said, feeling a little bad but not entirely believing Trunks' words -- he was her brother, after all, and wouldn't he wish to defend Bra? Trunks put his papers on a counter and opened one of the refrigerators to rummage for dinner.  
  
"But it is a shame that you flew all this way for nothing." Trunks said sympathetically.  
  
"Well, I'm not going home." Pan replied. "That's just crazy, and it's _pouring_."  
  
"You want to go change?"  
  
Pan nodded in agreement, and hurried away to Bra's room. When she returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, she held her soggy jeans and tee-shirt in one hand and was wearing on of Bra's less revealing outfits -- a pair of tight black pants and a tiny red tank-top.  
  
Trunks was still in the kitchen, eating a giant sandwich, and Bulma had entered while Pan had been gone. "Look at you!" Bulma squealed, standing up and putting her hands on Pan's shoulders. "You look so _nice_, Pan-chan! I mean, not that you don't normally, but you should really dress up more often! Do Bra's clothes fit okay?"  
  
"Yeah." Pan replied, embarrassed. "She's a little taller, but otherwise... Uh, where do I put these?" She asked, holding up her wet clothes.  
  
"Oh, I'll get one of the cleaning robots to take care of it." Bulma said, shrugging it off. "Trunks made you a sandwich, it's on the counter."  
  
"Thanks!" Pan said brightly, putting her clothes in a basket in the hall and then taking the sandwich. Bulma sat back down at the kitchen table, and within moments she and Trunks were discussing something Capsule Corp. related. Pan tried to pay attention, but it didn't really interest her -- all she got out of it was that there was a lot of hype for some sort of new Capsule car, but the production of it was going slowly and there was something wrong with the advertising of it.  
  
Pan finished her sandwich, and wished idly she had more food. Even if she had just eaten dinner a short while before, it was tough to fill up a Saiyan. She sat at the table, bored and trying to understand Trunks and Bulma's business talk, and it must have showed, for Bulma turned to her with a apologetic smile.  
  
"I'm sorry; this must all be terribly boring to you. Your mother called -- I should have mentioned earlier -- and told me about the situation. Did you have a nice visit with Bra?"  
  
"Actually, I didn't see her." Pan said primly, reminded of her anger. "Bra refused to see me."  
  
"Oh?" Bulma asked, sounding surprised.  
  
"That's right. Trunks says it's because she's still ill, but I think it was very rude, not to mention unlikely."  
  
"Well, you can ask Bra yourself tomorrow, if you're still around. She gets released at three." Bulma said, a little coolly. Pan understood that insulting her daughter _was_ a little rude, so wisely chose to not answer that.  
  
There was something of an awkward silence. Trunks finally spoke, pushing the sheath of papers across the table to his mother. "Well, I'm done for the day. Pan-chan, want to help me set up the guest room?"  
  
"Sure!" Pan said cheerfully, standing from the kitchen table and clearing her plate.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**The next **day dawned bright and early and -- thankfully -- clear. Pan had slept in until around ten, found her clothes from the day before clean and dried on the foot of her bed, and spent the next several hours alternatively watching television and watching Vegeta spar alone -- Bulma and Trunks had gone to work. She was tempted, a little, to ask to spar with him, but Pan knew better -- not only was Vegeta not exactly a (shall we say) _fan_ of the Son family, but even if he did agree to a spar it would result in Pan in the hospital.  
  
_Well_, Pan mused, _we'll see then if Bra gets a chance to visit me if she wants!_  
  
But that thought was silly; she wasn't going to spar with Vegeta at all. Pan watched from a safe distance instead as he trained in the gravity chamber. Although he appeared normal, if not a bit slow, Pan knew that Vegeta must be training at hundreds of times Earth's gravity. She had never actually been in the chamber while turned on; the closest to advanced gravity was on one or two of the planets she had visited during her time in space.  
  
Pan watched Vegeta train for a few minutes more before wandering back over to the TV room to watch some. When she turned on the television, Pan was slightly surprised to see her grandfather, Mr. Satan, being interviewed by a popular day time talk-show host.  
  
_"So, Mr. Satan, I hear that there are big things planned for the upcoming Tenkaichi Bodoukai?"_ the woman said. She was pretty and somewhat vapid looking, really, and she leant over closer to Mr. Satan.  
  
Pan regarded this with some interest. She had completely forgotten about the Bodoukai being held this year, actually. It was a year earlier then usual, actually, which struck Pan as strange.  
  
_"Why, yes!"_ Mr. Satan said loudly. _"Not only will my own daughter, Videl, be on the committee, but we hope to liven things up with music and entertainment before and after the fighting. Of course, there's more, but I wouldn't want to spoil anything!"  
_  
Pan coughed. He mom was on the committee? When did this happen, and why hadn't she been informed? On the other hand, Pan liked the music and games that filled Papaya Island on Tournament day, but it also meant that the crowd -- and competitors -- were less likely to be serious about martial arts. Pan knew that over the past years interest in the tournaments had been dropping, and so these things were needed to keep up attendance, but she still found it annoying.  
  
_"Well, everyone remember to mark their calendars -- May 7th on Papaya Island is the Tenkaichi Bodoukai! Do you have any closing words for us, Mr. Satan?" _  
  
Pan changed the channel, finding a rather old movie entitled "_The Journey of Sun Wu Kong_." she had seen it once before when she was younger, so Pan settled back into the sofa to watch the movie again, still waiting for Bra to come home and already planning on entering the Tenkaichi Bodoukai.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
**Bra did **arrive at Capsule Corp. at last, escorted by her brother. One couldn't tell that she had been ill, actually -- she might have been a little paler then usual, but her hair was perfect and clothes not even mussed. She was surprised to see Pan sitting on the couch. Trunks quietly excused himself, seeing a fight about to start.  
  
"Oh... hello, Pan-chan." Bra said slowly. "I didn't think you'd be here."  
  
"Well, I am." Pan said strongly. "Just because you're too much of a bitch to be visited," she said, knowing and not caring that she wasn't making too much sense, "Doesn't mean I'll just go away. It's a three _hour_ flight, and there was no way I was going back home in the rain, anyway."  
  
Bra sighed, made her way to the couch and sat on the opposite end. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Pan. Just because I didn't want any visitors last night doesn't give you a right to get all huffy."  
  
"I flew all the way from home!" Pan said, louder then she ought to. On the Television, Wu Kong was rescuing Sanzang, his human companion, from demons.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry, but I was really too tired. It wouldn't have mattered if it was you or my dad or the King of Earth himself visiting me!" Bra said angrily. While Pan was getting louder in her rage, Bra was growing quieter.  
  
"That's fine, but you didn't have to be so _rude_ about it." Pan said. "I would have understood if you had just _said_ so instead of being so bitchy about it."  
  
"What the hell are you going on about?" Bra yelled. "And turn that stupid movie off!"  
  
"I_ like _it!" Pan yelled back.  
  
"Well, it's _my_ house!"  
  
Pan stood up from the couch suddenly, clenching her fists. "I don't give a damn!"  
  
Bra didn't stand, but she did cross her arms over her chest. "You have _no_ right to act like this towards me."  
  
"I can act how I want!" Pan said. She did feel a little bad for getting so angry, but mostly because her _ki_ was slowly getting higher. She tried to force it back down, and wondered why Trunks or someone hadn't felt it and come running over. She wished someone _would_ come in and separate them, actually. Pan hated to fight in the speaking sense.  
  
"What the hell is _with you_?" Bra said lowly, "Just because you didn't get to visit me? Pan, I had_ no idea_ you were that _dependent_ on me." Bra's sarcasm and implications did not go unnoticed. Pan wondered if Bra's half Saiyan blood would allow her to survive a punch, but doubted it.  
  
"I wouldn't _be_ mad if you hadn't been so _bitchy_ yesterday."  
  
Bra sighed angrily. "What the _hell_ are you going on about?"  
  
"Whatever!" Pan yelled, "I guess I should have _guessed_ you'd act like this, after _all _you_ are_ a fifteen-year-old _slut_! I suppose being a bitch is _nothing_ for you!"  
  
Bra tensed, and then stood up. Even though she was a year younger, Bra was a good two inches taller then Pan, and she walked over so that this was evident. "Don't say things like that." Bra said lowly.  
  
Pan smirked. "Why? Are you going to beat me up? Oh, please!"  
  
Bra backed away a few feet. "Just _shut the hell up_. You have no right to say anything about my personal life, Son Pan, so stay the _fuck_ out of it."  
  
"Well, it's true, isn't it? I live all the way in _East District_ and hear the rumors! But then, I guess when one dresses like a hooker it's to be expected --"  
  
Pan was cut off as Bra slapped her across the face. It wasn't so much because it hurt as it was surprising; she hadn't actually expected Bra to do anything like that. After a minute of surprise, Pan stepped backwards and smiled. "Oh, okay then. Is it my turn?"  
  
"You wouldn't dare." Bra spat. "Not with my brother and _father_ in the house."  
  
"Oh, you're so brave and _strong_, Bra-chan! Using your father's name because you're too weak to do anything yourself!" Pan laughed. "You're right, I_ don't_ want to fight you, but that's only because I don't want a death on my conscience."  
  
"Brave, aren't you." Bra remarked angrily. "Such a _good_ member of the Son family. Oh, don't glare like that -- I'm not being sarcastic. It's true; you _are_ just like your family -- a weak, foolish, coward. Your parents must be _so_ proud."  
  
"You don't _dare_ insult my family!" Pan yelled.  
  
"I'll insult who I like, _especially_ when it's true to begin with!"  
  
Pan made up her mind: Bra was _dead_, but before she could make any further moves (perhaps luckily), Trunks ran into the room.  
  
"Hey, you two!" he said, a little too loudly, "Calm down! I can hear you from upstairs!" Trunks quieted down when he saw both girls staring at him, both looking a little relieved. He was, too, for having stopped the fight before it got too involved. He had been upstairs in his room on lunch break, eating and reading a novel, when he had heard the gradually increasing voices.  
  
Truth be told, Trunks had been expecting an argument between his sister and Pan, and so at first he ignored it -- growing up, Trunks had learned that fighting was a good way of letting feelings be shown... but then, he had never been a teenaged girl, either. When he had started to dimly hear very personal insults, Trunks had thought there was something wrong... when he had heard threats of violence; Trunks had practically flown over to the living room.  
  
Luckily, Pan and Bra were quick to separate. Pan looked a little shamed while still managing to look pissed; Bra looked cool and had her arms crossed over her chest. She looked uncaring, but having grown up with Vegeta as a father Trunks knew better -- she was just as upset as Pan, and pretty scared, too.  
  
"What got into you two?" Trunks asked rhetorically. "Bra, you should get some rest. Why don't you head upstairs for a bit? As for you, Pan, I think you should head home -- your parents must be wondering why you aren't back yet. I think you both ought to cool down a little, right?"  
  
Pan nodded slightly, Bra turned and stomped off.  
  
Trunks sighed. "Honestly, Pan-chan, what the hell was that all about?"  
  
Pan shrugged. "Bra was being a bi...brat."  
  
Trunks closed his eyes briefly. "Well, I think you should head home for now, okay? You and Bra can make up later."  
  
"I don't want to make up with her at all." Pan muttered. "I _told_ my parents that I hated her."  
  
Trunks put his hands in his pockets. "Look, Pan-chan, I don't know exactly what happened here, but I know Bra doesn't go out of line like that unless provoked. I'm not trying to accuse you of anything, but it's pretty clear that she's not the only one at fault. I'm not angry, so stop glaring at me -- I just think both of you need to cool down, and you should head home."  
  
Pan felt bad, not only from the fight but that Trunks wasn't on 'her side.' "Fine." she snapped, and -- like Bra had a moment before -- stomped away.  
  
On the television, Wu Kong said good-bye to his friends and flew away into the sunset on a small yellow cloud.  
  
  
**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
The weeks **passed by quickly without serious event. Pan and Bra refused to talk to or even mention each-other, still smarting from their fight. They both hastened to tell their families their side of the events, wanting to selfishly turn them against the other. Thankfully, this didn't work.  
  
Marron started her job at a small clinic for children, dealing mostly with abused and neglected kids. It was a tough job that took its toll on the normally sweet and kind woman, but Marron was determined to help those children. Goten, for his part, remained impressed with his girlfriend. They grew a good deal closer over the next month, even if the Son family on a whole wasn't too pleased with the match.  
  
Marron's family was far too concerned with #17 to worry about their daughter. #17 had settled right in to the Kame house, being a general pest but not causing any trouble worse then burned breakfast. Although he did annoy his new "family," they all grudgingly began to realize he was pretty much harmless.  
  
Up in space, the Saiyan continued their slow journey to Earth, passing time slowly and stopping occasionally for supplies. After a week, it was decided that they should spend the rest of the voyage frozen in sleep, and so the four of them did so, resting frozen until they arrived on Earth.  
  
In his village, Uub prepared for the upcoming Tenkaichi Bodoukai; Goten checked his savings and realized he must, too. Pan had already planned on entering, but the three didn't realize they would be competing against each-other -- it wasn't held until May, anyway.  
  
And finally, April 1st arrived. To most it was known as the day of tricks and foolery, but to certain teenagers in West Capital (and one in East District), it was known for something else: The start of the school year.  
  
One that, thanks to Pan and Bra and #18's plot, as well as an upcoming Bodoukai, would turn out very interesting indeed...  
  
**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
_  
  
_**_No Name puns in this chapter.  
  
**Thanks to Brandon B. for beta-reading!!  
  
NOTE: **I am looking for a second beta reader. While Brandon does beta-reading in terms of characterization, I'm looking for someone else to help me with the more technical details -- grammar, spelling, that sort of thing. If anyone is interested, please tell me in either a review (points down) or e-mail:  
  
p (underscore) arron (at) hotmail (dot) com.  
  
Thanks for reading!!!  
_


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